Share of women who are married or in a union in Nepal
Nepal: Share of women who are married or in a union was 21.3% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Share of women who are married or in a union in Nepal, 1970–2022
Source: United Nations (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, share of women who are married or in a union in Nepal stood at 21.3%. That is the lowest value across all 53 years on record.
That represents a change of down 4.0% on the previous year and down 29.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are married or in a union in Nepal peaked at 60.2% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 21.3%, in 2022.
That places Nepal 17th out of 221 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 53 years of available data.
Share of women who are married or in a union in Nepal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 60.2% | — |
| 1971 | 60.2% | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 59.5% | -1.1% |
| 1973 | 58.8% | -1.1% |
| 1974 | 58.2% | -1.2% |
| 1975 | 57.5% | -1.2% |
| 1976 | 56.8% | -1.2% |
| 1977 | 56.1% | -1.2% |
| 1978 | 55.4% | -1.2% |
| 1979 | 54.8% | -1.2% |
| 1980 | 54.1% | -1.2% |
| 1981 | 53.4% | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 52.7% | -1.3% |
| 1983 | 52.0% | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 51.4% | -1.3% |
| 1985 | 50.7% | -1.3% |
| 1986 | 50.0% | -1.3% |
| 1987 | 49.3% | -1.4% |
| 1988 | 48.6% | -1.4% |
| 1989 | 48.0% | -1.4% |
| 1990 | 47.3% | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 46.6% | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 45.9% | -1.5% |
| 1993 | 45.2% | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 44.6% | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 43.9% | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 43.2% | -1.5% |
| 1997 | 42.5% | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 41.8% | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 41.2% | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 40.5% | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 39.8% | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 38.9% | -2.2% |
| 2003 | 38.0% | -2.3% |
| 2004 | 37.2% | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 36.3% | -2.4% |
| 2006 | 35.4% | -2.4% |
| 2007 | 34.5% | -2.5% |
| 2008 | 33.6% | -2.6% |
| 2009 | 32.8% | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 31.9% | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 31.0% | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 30.1% | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 29.2% | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 28.3% | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 27.5% | -3.1% |
| 2016 | 26.6% | -3.2% |
| 2017 | 25.7% | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 24.8% | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 23.9% | -3.5% |
| 2020 | 23.1% | -3.7% |
| 2021 | 22.2% | -3.8% |
| 2022 | 21.3% | -4.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 57.7% | 54.8% | 60.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 51.0% | 48.0% | 54.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 44.2% | 41.2% | 47.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 36.7% | 32.8% | 40.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.9% | 23.9% | 31.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.2% | 21.3% | 23.1% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More gender data for Nepal
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 7,927 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.7039 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 264,089 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 273,367 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 265,882 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 274,092 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 268,570 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 277,470 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 269,376 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 278,739 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are married or in a union in Nepal?
- Share of women who are married or in a union in Nepal was 21.3% in 2022, according to United Nations (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of women who are married or in a union recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 60.2% in 1970.
- What is the lowest share of women who are married or in a union recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.3% in 2022.
- How does Nepal rank for share of women who are married or in a union?
- Nepal ranks 17th out of 221 countries with data for 2022.
- Is share of women who are married or in a union rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nepal data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of women who are married or in a union. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of women aged 15-19 sharing a household with their partner, whether married, cohabiting, in consensual partnerships, or in other non-marital unions.